St. Luke’s celebrates new vascular, interventional radiology labs

St. Luke's Interventional Radiology ribbon cutting
St. Luke's leaders and staff laugh after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 21 marking the completion of the hospital's new vascular and interventional radiology lab. CREDIT RICHARD PRATT

UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital has reached a significant milestone with the completion of its vascular and interventional radiology labs expansion project.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house was held Jan. 21 to mark the occasion, bringing together hospital staff, doctors, members of the heart care team, and representatives from the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.

The newly expanded labs enable St. Luke’s heart and vascular team to care for more patients as the demand for cardiac and other interventional procedures continues to rise, according to a release.

The opening of the labs marks the completion of Phase 2 of the hospital’s $25 million Heart & Vascular expansion, which began in 2022. The upgraded vascular and interventional radiology department features two fully functional, state-of-the-art labs, along with a third lab designed to accommodate future expansion.

These labs are designed to provide advanced imaging, biopsies, aneurysm repairs (treating ballooning vessels), and revascularization (restoring blood flow to blocked vessels). The facility includes nine patient care rooms, along with dedicated pre- and post-operative areas, enhancing the overall patient experience. Additionally, it includes a CT and fluoroscopy machine located together in one lab – the first of its kind in the state of Iowa.

St. Luke's Interventional Radiology CT and fluoroscopy
A look at the combined CT and fluoroscopy scanner in St. Luke’s new vascular and interventional radiology lab. The combined machine is the first of its kind in Iowa. CREDIT RICHARD PRATT

“Now we can schedule any time of day and do up to maybe five to six CT biopsies a day, where we were only able to do two before,” Lia Dickes, MSN, RN, manager of vascular and interventional radiology, told KCRG-TV9. “I’m so excited to be able to get our patients in quicker and faster to be able to get them answers so we can give them treatment faster.”

Phase 1 of the Heart & Vascular expansion project, completed in 2024, introduced two electrophysiology labs, doubling the hospital’s capacity to perform procedures such as pacemaker insertions, implantable defibrillator placements and cardiac ablations. The final phase of the project will focus on structural heart advancements, including the addition of a hybrid operating room equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

The new unit is located on the third floor of St. Luke’s Hospital, in a space formerly occupied by the hospital’s cardiac rehab track, which has now moved to the PCI Medical Pavilion as part of the Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation department.